Components (Sequenced Designs)

Use this area of the Management Console to manage component palettes, component types, and component templates that will be used in sequenced service designs. A component (also known as a service component) represents one service design element required to realize a service subscription. It provides a framework to describe the actions and resource offerings required to realize, manage, and retire the service design.

Component Palettes

Component palettes are the grouping structure for component types (described below). Each palette contains a group of component types you can choose from when creating service components in a service design. CSA is installed with one palette (called CSA). This palette allows you to reuse the installed component types, and templates, or you can create your own component palettes, types and templates from the base set, (with some restrictions). When creating component types from other palettes, you must take care to prevent circular dependencies; however, conforming to suggested best practices can help you create palettes and component types to meet your organization's needs.

Component Types

A component type is a hierarchical classification of service components and is used in creating a service design. A component type contains rules that constrain how service designs can be constructed, helping a Service Designer to properly construct a service design. Component type constraints limit the types of service components that can be connected to components of this type within a service design. Resource category constraints limit the categories of resource offerings that can be bound to service components of this type.

CSA allows you to create your own component types and is installed with a number of component types, as listed in the following table.

Out-of-the-Box Component Types

Component Type	Description	Component Type Constraints	Resource Category Constraints
Application Layer	Represents a logical installation and configuration unit of an application.	No component type constraints	No resource category constraints
Delegated Topology in CSA	Delegates execution to an CSA topology-based design. Not available in CSA version 4.60 or later.	No component type constraints	No resource category constraints
Infrastructure Service	Contains a collection of infrastructure components that are needed in a service design.	Server Server Group Virtual Network	Application Compute Configuration Management Infrastructure Monitoring Network Storage
Load Balancing Pool	Describes the membership of Servers in a pool that serves a load-balanced Software Application Service.	No component type constraints	Compute Network Service Assurance Service Usage
Network Connection	Describes the relationship of a Server interface to a Virtual Network.	No component type constraints	Network
Platform Service	Represents a collection of infrastructure services that also provide middleware, databases, and other components required to host an application.	Delegated Topology (not available in CSA version 4.60 or later) Infrastructure Service	Application Compute Configuration Management Infrastructure Monitoring Network Storage
Policy Enforcement Point	Describes the implementation of access control policies for a Virtual Network.	No component type constraints	Compliance Network Security
Server	A virtual or physical server that is provisioned by CSA. Provides specific provisioning attributes for individual servers (can optionally be marked as Pattern when this service component is used in a service design).	Application Layer Network Connection Software Component Storage Volume	Application Compliance Compute Configuration Management Monitoring Network Service Usage Storage
Server Group	A container of identically configured Servers. Contains a single Server (marked as Pattern in a service design) that describes the shared characteristics of all Servers in the Server Group.	Load Balancing Pool Server (one Server, marked as Pattern) Software Component	Compute Configuration Management Infrastructure Monitoring Network Storage
Service Composite	Often used as the root service component for service designs.	Delegated Topology (not available in CSA version 4.60 or later) Infrastructure Service Platform Service Software Application Service	Application Compute Configuration Management Infrastructure Monitoring Service Usage Storage
Software Application Service	Represents a complex application architecture. Contains one or more Software Application Tier service components.	Software Application Tier	Application Compliance Configuration Management Monitoring
Software Application Tier	Describes a type of software, or a collection of software, that is applied to all Servers within a Server Group.	Server Group	Application Configuration Management Monitoring
Software Component	Describes software deployed on an individual server.	No component type constraints	Application Monitoring
Storage Volume	Describes a single accessible storage area with a single file system.	No component type constraints	Configuration Management Monitoring Service Usage Storage
Virtual Network	Models a network infrastructure to which a network connection can be associated.	Policy Enforcement Point	Network Service Usage

Component Templates

A component template is a specialized version of a component type and is used to simplify service design creation. Component templates include customized settings for properties, lifecycle actions, and resource offerings normally created in a service design.